A Perfect Week’s Itinerary for Jordan

How To Get To Jordan

The best way to reach Jordan is to fly directly to Amman Queen Alia International Airport. The city is about 40km away and there are plenty of options to get into the centre. Buses, taxis and Uber are available.

You may need a visa to enter Jordan. If this is the case, and you are planning to stay more than three days and visit historic sites, consider buying a Jordan Pass which includes your visa and will get you discounted entry to a number of sites.

How To Get Around Jordan

Jordan isn’t a large country and it is possible reach the key locations within a few hours. For example, Petra is less than 250km from Amman and it takes just 3 hours to drive there.

There are multiple ways to travel around the country. Public buses are available between the main sites or you could rent  a car. We wouldn’t recommend driving in Amman (the traffic is horrendous!) but outside of the capital, the roads are easy to use.

There are also options for a private driver, who can be hired by the day, and could be a good option if you are travelling in a group.

Alternatively, there are lots of guided trips available. Day trips to many of the locations are available from Amman, but we recommend staying overnight in Petra and the Wadi Rum as these really deserve time to explore thoroughly. You definitely don’t want to miss out on the wonders of these sites because you are spending six hours on the road travelling back and forth to Amman.

Day 1 Arrive Amman

Jordan’s sprawling capital has plenty of attractions to see on the first day, depending on how much time you have when you arrive.

The Romans conquered Jordan three thousand years ago and it is possible to visit the amphitheatre and adjacent museum. Climb to the ruins of the citadel to get views of the city. The King Abdullah II mosque, also known as the Blue Mosque, is open for visitors but be aware that you will need to dress modestly. A headscarf will be provided if needed.

Day 2 Day Trip to Jerash

Jerash is an easy day trip from Amman. It takes around an hour to reach it. This remarkable city in northern Jordan is one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the world.

On entering the dramatic Hadrian arch, you can walk along the main road discovering many of the original Roman sites along the way.

Jerash is highly unusual in that it had an oval forum.

There is also a vast hippodrome, two theatres and many temples to view. Our post about visiting Jerash has details of its many treasures.

Day 3 Travel to Petra via Mount Nebo and Shobak Castle

It takes around an hour to reach Mount Nebo from Amman. This is the place from the bible where Moses was given a view of the Promised Land.

There is also a Byzantine church on the mountain, which has some lovely mosaics.

Continue from Mount Nebo to Petra. The journey takes 3 hours via the main highway, or 3 ½ hours via the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea route is most definitely the most scenic.

There are also many biblical connections here. This is the region where Sodom and Gomorrah, wicked cities destroyed by God, are located. There is a salt column known as Lot’s Wife. She was turned into a pillar of salt after disobeying the angels’ instructions not to look back at the carnage.

Stop at Shobak Castle, a dramatic crusader castle set atop a mountain. It was built in 1115 when King Baldwin I ruled the land.

Arrive at Wadi Musa. This is the town just outside Petra and where the hotels and restaurants are located.

You could experience the Petra By Night light and sound show.

Days 4 and 5 Explore Petra

One of the seven wonders of the modern world, we recommend spending a lot of time in Petra. Although its most famous structure, the Treasury, was made famous by the Indiana Jones film, the site is absolutely huge and would take several days to explore thoroughly. Two days are the minimum to give you a feel for this astonishing site.

We recommend getting a guide for at least part of your visit.  The guide will be able to give you a history of the area and point out the main features, as well as giving information about how the site might have been constructed.

Petra was built around the 1st Century BCE by an ancient Arab tribe known as the Nabateans. They were traders and had a very enlightened culture. The Rose Red City has multiple constructions to explore far beyond the Treasury. There are walking trails all over the site. You will walk through a dramatic canyon to reach the Treasury.

But that is just the start. Other key sites are the Monastery, the Nabatean Tombs…

…the amphitheatre and the Colonnaded street.

These are just a few of the many, many remarkable features of the site. You are free to explore and can go inside all the buildings, except the Treasury.

You can read more about visiting Petra in our post, including insight into the many places to visit and what you need to bring.

Petra Accommodation: There are a plethora of hotels at Wadi Musa.

Day 7 Dead Sea

The Dead Sea is a mysterious place. It is the lowest place on earth and the vast lake is so salty that not only can it not sustain life, it also destroys machinery, so you will never see a boat on the water.

This is the place for a unique experience – to float in the water where it’s impossible to sink and also impossible to swim. Dead Sea mud is also reputed to be beneficial for your skin.

This is the place to relax after your sightseeing. There are loads of resorts around the Dead Sea. You can read our post about visiting the Dead Sea.

Jordan for Foodies

Middle Eastern cuisine is one of the world’s greatest. The best dishes in the world are ones that you can share and mezze is the perfect way to taste a variety of dishes.

Vegetarians and vegans will never go hungry – the veggie food here is so delicious that you forget that you’re not eating meat. Falafel (chickpea fritters) with baba ganoush (aubergine) and hummus (chickpea) dips are just sublime. And there are a plethora of delicious salads such as fattoush (salad with breads) and tabbouleh (bulgur wheat with herbs) all eaten with flatbreads.

A special Jordanian dish is maqluba, known as ‘upside down’. It is a celebratory dish, comprising meat and vegetables cooked with rice in a pot. It is tipped upside down for serving. It’s real comfort food, mildly spiced, full of flavour.

Middle Eastern desserts are not only delicious they are also quite addictive. One of the defining elements of a Jordanian dessert we tried when visiting the country was the sweet, sweet syrup that soaks into and pervades the pastry or dough that forms the base. The sweetness is probably a good thing as it does limit your ability to scoff vast quantities of these scrumptious sweets.

Baklava is probably the most well-known dessert – it comprises layers of flake filo pastry and nuts all covered in sweet syrup or honey. Burma is rolls of shredded pastry, stuffed with green pistachio nuts and drizzled with syrup. Halva combines tahini and sugar to form a tablet which has a lovely crumbly texture.

Kanafeh comprises pastry or dough, saturated in syrup and layered with a very slightly salty cheese, traditionally nabulsi or akkawi, which adds a comforting and savoury contrast to counterbalance the sweetness. Kanafeh can take a variety of forms – some use vermicelli type noodles as the base, others a pastry dough. The syrup can be flavoured with rose or orange water to give a light fragrance.

Habibah in Amman have been in business for several decades. It’s easy to see why. They specialise in Jordanian dessert and their kanafeh is superb. This kanafeh is based on a pastry dough with layers of cheese. It is an absolutely delicious way to round off any meal. Or you could just order a really large portion and eat that instead of a meal – it’s worth it.

Resources To Help You Plan Your Trip

Accommodation in Amman

Accommodation in Petra (NB these hotels are located at Wadi Musa.)

Dead Sea Resorts

Rental Cars for Jordan